The invention relates to a multimedia assembly with a programmable universal remote control unit and a method of programming a remote control unit.
Remote control units and methods of this type are known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,626,848 A. This publication describes a programmable universal remote control unit, which receives, analyzes, decodes and stores remote control codes transmitted by one or more original remote control units, so that the remote control unit to be programmed “learns” the corresponding codes of the original remote control units. The programmable remote control unit then is a copy of the original remote control units in terms of its functions.
Programming a universal remote control unit of this type is cumbersome in practice, however, because to program the universal remote control unit, all keys must be pressed in sequence for each device.
The analysis, decoding and re-encoding of the signals from the original remote control units also requires considerable expenditure in terms of computing power, memory and other components in the universal remote control unit, which increases its cost and the amount of energy it consumes during operation.
Today, remote control units for electronic systems such as television receivers, satellite receivers, video recorders, CD players, music systems, etc. have a large number of keys and key combinations, each of which is assigned a specific code which is usually transmitted as an encoded infrared signal. Remote control units having more than 40 keys are not unusual.
Normally, each device is supplied with its own remote control unit in which the code combinations that conform to the associated device are stored. In practice, therefore, any given household will have a number of remote control units for controlling different devices, which many users find excessive and impractical.
The obvious solution is to use a universal remote control unit as specified in the above cited U.S. Pat. No. 4,626,848 A with which several different devices can be remotely controlled. Codes corresponding to the different devices can be stored in this universal remote control unit. The device to be controlled can be selected via a selection function, such as by pressing a selection key or actuating a multistage sliding switch, whereupon the respective code is assigned to the individual keys of the universal remote control unit.
One problem with known universal remote control units is that the user must use the selection function to determine which device will be controlled. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,626,848 A, this is accomplished using special device selection keys. Frequently, the user then does not know which device the remote control is set for, allowing unintentional functions to be initiated. For example, if a user watching television has selected the satellite receiver on the remote control unit in order to select a television channel, and then wishes to adjust the volume on the television, he must first select the television on the remote control unit before he can adjust its volume. If he presses the corresponding volume adjustment keys without making this selection beforehand, these keys may be assigned to other functions for the still selected satellite receiver, and an incorrect function can be initiated.
Another problem is that some devices offer a wide range of functions which some users do not wish to use at all. Some remote control units therefore have an extremely large number of keys to which specific functions are assigned, with the result that incorrect activation will again trigger undesired functions.
To solve this problem, EP 1185922 B1 proposes a multimedia system for scrollable crosspoint navigation on a user interface, which comprises two displaceable bars, each comprising at least two object fields which overlap in one focus field. The object fields of one bar are subordinate to those of the other bar. The object fields lying in the focus field are selected via input means and are combined with one another to transmit a control signal. However, this requires that the “user interface,” i.e., a central control device, can control all connected devices, because the “input means,” such as a remote control unit, can control only the “user interface” and not the individual connected devices. If individual connected devices are exchanged for other devices, or if additional new devices are connected, the central control device must be exchanged or adjusted accordingly.